China’s UK ambassador vows severe consequences if UK lawmakers visit Taiwan

 

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China’s UK ambassador Zheng Zeguang vowed “severe consequences” if British lawmakers visit Taiwan, the Guardian reported on Tuesday.

Visits would interfere in China’s internal affairs and would lead to severe consequences in China-UK relations, Zheng said at a news conference in London, the report said.

“We call on the UK side to abide by the Sino-UK joint communique and not to underestimate the extreme sensitivity of the Taiwan issue, and not to follow the U.S.’s footsteps,” Zheng said.

Britain’s House of Commons foreign affairs committee is planning a visit to Taiwan later this year – probably in November or early December – despite rising tensions in the region, the Guardian had reported.

The trip – which was originally scheduled for early this year but was postponed due to one member of the delegation testing positive for Covid – was intended to show Britain’s support for the democratically run island, according to the report.

It comes as the UK’s relationship with Beijing continues to deteriorate. Last week, the Conservative leadership candidates, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, articulated their tough positions on China.

The comments also came after US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan late on Tuesday, in a visit which China said seriously damages peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

China’s foreign ministry said Pelosi’s visit severely impacts the political foundations of China-U.S. relations, and said it had lodged a strong protest with the United States.